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US 3,941,440 AGranted
Self-leveling dispenser
AssigneePeters and Company, Inc.
InventorsMarvin Menzin, Hugh A. Robinson
Life of this patent
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AssigneePeters and Company, Inc.
InventorsMarvin Menzin, Hugh A. Robinson
Estimating the term…
Self-leveling dispenser of the type having an elongated lever which serves to balance the spring and platform, with a member being adjustable along the lever for altering the ratio of effective moment arms to change the effective spring rating of the dispenser. An adjustment feature comprises felxible strands connected to opposite sides of the adjustable member. By means of a pulley surface, both strands leave the lever at the pivot point and proceed to a take-up pay-out device, shown as a dentent-controlled reel. For avoiding working against the spring during adjustment the lever concavely curves about the line of action of a tension spring acting upon the lever. In combination of these features the strands are guided by longitudinally convex surfaces of the curved member. The platform and spring loads are shown to act in one diagonal direction of a rectangular frame with the frame braced by a tension member extending in the opposite diagonal direction.
In a self-leveling dispenser of the type having stationary structure, an elevator platform for a stack of pieces to be dispensed, a suspension system for the platform, and an adjustable spring system connected through said suspension system to the platform, the spring system operable to progressively raise the platform as the platform load decreases and comprising an elongated lever rotatable about a pivot, a suspension system connector on said lever spaced at a first moment arm distance from said pivot for application of elevator platform load to said lever at an angle thereto, a spring, a spring connector on said lever spaced at a second moment arm distance from said pivot for application of spring load to said lever at an angle thereto, and an adjustment device for varying the position along said lever of at least one of said connectors or said pivot to change the ratio of said two moment arms and thereby the load rating of said dispenser, the improvement wherein first and second elongated flexible strands are secured to the member to be adjusted along said lever, and extend in opposite directions therefrom along said lever, at least one of said strands turning back about a pulley surface mounted on said lever, and both of said strands leaving said lever in the vicinity of the lever pivot point and extending to a take-up and pay-out device mounted on said stationary structure, said device being operable to take up and pay out the respective strands and vice versa, to adjust the position of said member and thereby the ratio of said moment arms, and a means to secure said strands in a selected position thereby to fix said ratio of moment arms.
In a self-leveling dispenser of the type having stationary structure, an elevator platform for a stack of pieces to be dispensed, a suspension system for the platform, and an adjustable spring system connected through said suspension system to the platform, the spring system operable to progressively raise the platform as the platform load decreases and comprising an elongated lever rotatable about a pivot, a suspension system connector on said lever spaced at a first moment arm distance from said pivot for application of elevator platform load to said lever at an angle thereto, a spring, a spring connector to said lever spaced at a second moment arm distance from said pivot for application of spring load to said lever at an angle thereto, and an adjustment device for varying the ratio of said two moment arms and thereby the load rating of said dispenser, the improvement wherein said lever is pivoted at one end, said suspension system connector is fixed at the opposite end of said lever and said spring connector is movable through said range along a portion of said lever between said two ends, said spring being a tension spring and being connected to said spring connector from a pivot on said stationary structure and said lever being concave about said spring pivot and the line of action of said tension spring therefrom.
In a self-leveling dispenser of the type having stationary structure, an elevator platform for a stack of pieces to be dispensed, a suspension system for the platform, and an adjustable spring system connected through said suspension system to the platform, the spring system operable to progressively raise the platform as the platform load decreases and comprising an elongated lever rotatable about a pivot, a suspension system connector on said lever spaced at a first moment arm distance from said pivot for application of elevator platform load to said lever at an angle thereto, a spring, a spring connector to said lever spaced at a second moment arm distance from said pivot for application of spring load to said lever at an angle thereto, and an adjustment device for varying the ratio of said two moment arms and thereby the load rating of said dispenser, the improvement wherein said stationary structure includes a rectangular frame, said lever is pivoted at one end in one upper quadrant of said frame, the line of action of said spring acting in tension upward outwardly toward a point located in the other upper quadrant of said frame, a load pulley for said suspension system located in the lower quadrant of said frame lying below the pivot point of said lever, strand means of said suspension system extending from said platform about said pulley, thence directly to the suspension system connector on said lever, the effective combined line of action between said pulley and said spring extending diagonally of said frame between upper and lower quadrants, and said stationary structure including a tension member secured to said frame and extending between the opposite pair of upper and lower quadrants, opposing the tendency to collapse said frame provided by said spring and platform loads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.